


Take Me Anywhere

by Bookworm39



Category: Kirby (Video Games), Super Smash Brothers, 光神話 | Kid Icarus (Video Games), 新・光神話 パルテナの鏡 | Kid Icarus: Uprising (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Based on a NateWantsToBattle song, Brotps keep cropping up IS2G, Chaotic Dumbass Dark Pit, Child Abuse, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Flashbacks, Gen, Kirby Right Back At Ya! fans'll get it, Master Hand is a Dickhead, Mirror Universe, Mirrorverse!Palu is basically the most negative fanon you can find for Canon!Palu and then some, Nightmares, Past Child Abuse, Pit and DP are basically brothers in this, Post World Of Light, Self-Hatred, Self-blaming, Spanish Accent Meta Knight, Survivor Guilt, Swearing, Trauma, and MK's everyone's reluctant dad, but I write the dynamic between the Pits and their respective Palus as mother and son, but also can you find my crack ship in here??, but he's doing stupid things and them's the facts, he means well! and Trauma Brain isn't his friend!!!, internalized ableism, it's kinda subtle they don't get much chance to interact, mentions of vomiting, not EXACTLY child abuse, or at least takes the story name and chapter titles from it, so basically... yeah, some chapters are JUST hurt tho, who is also bilingual Meta Knight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-20
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2020-01-16 17:44:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18526468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bookworm39/pseuds/Bookworm39
Summary: "It's easy to see itToo hard to believe itBut once in a while, you just gotta come cleanNow you try to hide itBut you can't deny itIt's falling apart, tearing up at the seamsI give it my best, secretly I'm a messBut sooner or later it's bound to riseThere's so many warnings that I've been ignoringNow it's shutting down"--Recent events have brought a flood of memories back to the surface, and Dark Pit is struggling to keep it a secret any longer. By chance, it turns out that Galeem and Dharkon left things behind, including a pathway to any world, so long as you have an artifact from it.All he needs is a guide. He's going to end his pain or die trying.--The follow-up to 'Only Good Angels Fall,' my most recent Kid Icarus one-shot. You may want to read that first, or you can go into this completely blind!





	1. These God-Forsaken Memories

He’d thought he was finally done with those nightmares.

His footsteps likely echoed through the temple, accompanied by the sound of his feathers faintly rustling as he shivered with fear. He was probably gasping for air, coughing up soil and soot-but he couldn't hear any of that. No, as far as the angel could tell, there was only dead silence.

Because to him, it wasn’t his sounds that mattered; it was the sounds that should’ve surrounded him.

For the first time since waking up on the charred battlefield he’d been fighting on, he heard himself make a sound. “M-my goddess!” His call rang hollowly through the marble hallways, going unanswered. “Men?” His run slowed to a near-crawl, eyes darting about anxiously. “Men, this is your captain! I-if any of you can hear me, please-!”

He trailed off. It… it was pointless, he realized, a sharp gasp exiting his throat. He turned around quickly, letting out one last desperate cry. “My goddess!”

No answer.

* * *

Chrom was still getting the hang of how things worked around here, but he’d like to think he was doing a pretty good job. He had managed to become acquainted with all the others dubbed ‘Echo Fighters’ alongside himself and his daughter Lucina-well, Dark Samus was seemingly impossible to crack, but very few of the other residents of the manor bothered with her(?) much, either, so he felt he could count what he _had_ gotten done with her a success.

As such, while he wasn’t as perceptive as some of his Ylissean comrades, he knew enough of the other Echos’ habits that he knew it was odd to find Dark Pit up and about so early. Usually, even if he did wake up, he wouldn’t be found in the main halls. Pit and Lucina said that he’d usually spend those early hours training, or locked up in his room, avoiding conversation. (Not that this surprised Chrom all that much-he’d served in an army with _Lon’qu,_ for gods’ sake.)

And yet, there the angel was, leaning over the balcony, surveying the main foyer on the floor below. As Chrom approached, he noticed the tiny droplets of water still clinging to Dark Pit's wings and hair. So, he took the time to take a shower before coming out? Not even half of the Smashers were up and about at this point; what was he doing up?

Chrom bit his lip, then cleared his throat. “Um, Dark Pit?”

The angel jumped slightly, turning to face Chrom. For a moment, Chrom could’ve sworn he saw a flash of… _something_ on Dark Pit’s face. If it was real, though, it passed quickly, and the angel simply sighed, crossing his arms and leaning against the railing again, this time turned to face the prince. “What is it?”

“Nothing, it’s just…” Chrom paused awkwardly, unsure of how to express his concern without simply setting the angel off. “Any reason you’re up so early?”

Dark Pit huffed quietly, averting his eyes. This time, something was definitely off about it. It wasn’t mere annoyance; Chrom could’ve sworn he noticed something else there. “Couldn’t sleep,” he said, his voice low and soft.

 _That_ Chrom could certainly pick up on as odd. The Ylissean royal scratched the back of his head and sighed. If only he knew what was wrong, he might be able to help… “Right, well…” Chrom forced a chuckle, trying to keep the mood light-hearted. “If you need help next time, it seems to be customary to fall asleep on the furniture downstairs.”

“Yeah, I know.” Chrom took a few steps towards Dark Pit, and noticed that the closer he came, the more the angel drew his wings behind himself. _Poor guy,_ he thought. He knew that both the angels would suffer from nightmares occasionally, due to what Lucina and Robin called the ‘Chaos War,’ and while Chrom hadn’t dared to pry as to what _that_ was, he’d encountered enough nightmares-both his own and those of his comrades-after Grima’s defeat, it didn’t surprise him in the least if Dark Pit was up with a bad dream.

“Alright.” Well, this was getting awkward fast. Chrom cleared his throat again, then said, “Well, uh, I’ll leave you to it.” He turned away, the paused, glancing over his shoulder. “Oh, and, well, if you need to talk to someone-”

“I don’t,” Dark Pit growled in response, eyes shooting up to meet Chrom’s. The prince took a step back in response, more than a little surprised, and the angel turned away, repeating, more quietly this time, “I don’t.”

Chrom had a distinct feeling the angel was trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

* * *

The draw was too much. Draw to _what,_ he wasn’t sure, but if it something other than the lifeless, empty remains of his home, then it was worth investigating.

Pit felt his feet drag against the marble tiles as he made his way through the temple. His face was red and damp, but he wasn’t crying anymore. He didn’t have anything left to give.

It wasn’t until he rounded the corner, entered the room, and came face-to-face with that mirror again that feeling began to return to him.

A sharp gasp escaped his throat, his eyes growing moist again. “N-no…” Slowly, he approached the mirror, gazing into it. It was… a portal, she’d said. To another realm, like their own, but… worse. Full of monsters and villains in disguise, traitors in the making; a whole pack of wolves in sheep’s clothing.

And yet… Now it was the only place to go. His hand ran over the glass, wondering how it would even activate. He caught his own eyes, red-on-red, the natural hue of his irises almost bleeding into the tired, tear-stained whites. He was alone. Nobody… Nobody was left here. All that waited for him was to let the Underworld Army-or whatever it was that had destroyed his home and goddess-find him and, hopefully, kill him quickly.

But there was another world through this mirror. He could leave. Escape from the ashes and craters around him, be reborn anew.

And all he had to do was abandon his mission, his life’s purpose, and everything he ever loved.

A deep breath shook his body, and he pulled his hand away quickly. No. He… He failed this world. If anything, he deserved to burn with it.

He stepped away from the mirror, refusing to meet his reflection’s gaze. A hot rage filled his body suddenly-how dare this prop mock him, try to turn him away from his heart?! After all, his heart wanted to stay here, to make one last, futile final stand.

...Didn’t it?

He stumbled backwards, hands shaking. With a cry of anguish, the angel took a flying leap at the mirror, determined to not let himself falter.

If any of the few hundred already-doomed mortals had been there, that would’ve been the last they’d seen of their pointless hope. The warrior of Skyworld; the Accursed Angel, as he was fondly known; with the eerie, unnatural wings and eyes, but a protective, loving heart, disappeared that day. Desperately trying to make himself adhere to his fate, and yet falling to desires he didn’t know he had.

Meanwhile, in another realm, a new legend-of a creation of the Underworld, a twisted clone of mankind’s hero-was born.


	2. This may be where you live, but it's not your home

“And that’s that!” Pit stood upright, a grin plastered onto his face as he stood alone on the stage. He glanced up at his clone, sitting up in the stands just above him. “Pretty good, huh, Pittoo?”

“Hm?” Dark Pit glanced up from his own lap, staring forward. After a few seconds, he shook his head, turning his gaze down to Pit at last. “Uh, right. Eh, not bad…” His shoulders started to slump, and he began to lean forward.

Pit watched in concern, ignoring the victory fanfare from his match, as well as Link and Marth giving him dirty looks as they recovered from their respective defeats. “Uh, Pittoo?” He took a few hesitant steps towards the balcony, scratching the back of his head. “You feeling okay?”

“Mgh, yeah…” Dark Pit muttered, rubbing his forehead. However, that wasn’t very convincing, seeing as he fell forward onto the balcony floor as soon as he stopped speaking.

“Pittoo!” Pit spread his wings, letting the little bit of the Power of Flight he’d been gifted for the Smash tournament carry him to his clone’s side. He ran the couple steps he’d missed Dark Pit by, while he heard footsteps from both the staircase from the battle stage and the rows of seats above him. He glanced up, just in time to see Lucina running to meet him. “I-I dunno what happened!” He dropped to his knees, hurriedly grabbing his clone’s head and lifting it up.

“Hang on,” Lucina said, and as if on cue, Dark Pit groaned, his eyes fluttering open. “Did… did he just… fall asleep?!”

“I guess…” Awake or not, Pit wasn’t taking any chances, though. He gently pulled Dark Pit to a sitting position, resting his clone’s back against his own chest, gently wrapping one arm around him.

After only a moment longer, Dark Pit sighed, running a hand through his own hair and forcing his eyes open. “I‘m fine, ‘m fine…” He looked up at Lucina, Marth and Link, who had all surrounded him, looking on in concern. He turned away, his face flushing a hot red. “Stop staring, I said I’m fine…”

“You were unfocused through the whole battle, and then you fell unconscious and fell out of your seat,” Lucina corrected. “You’re not fine!”

“Listen, I’m going to ask for a medic,” Marth said, right before turning to leave. Link, meanwhile, silently dropped to his knees, furrowing his brows and staring at the angel worriedly. The crowding only served to make Dark Pit more awkward, and he turned away, grumbling something under his breath.

“Hey, it’s fine, Pittoo,” Pit said, running a hand lightly over his clone’s wing. “You don’t have to be embarrassed, everyone gets sick…” _Hm, Pittoo never lets me touch his wings,_ Pit thought. _Must be really out of it if he’s not stopping m- huh?_ He narrowed his eyes, noticing an odd bend in Dark Pit’s right wing. The wing was completely straight save for that bend, and (most notable to Pit) it wasn’t something Pit had. He carefully grazed his hand over the spot, wondering if it’d prompt Dark Pit to correct it. _Must just be sitting funny…_ “Do you need any help getting back to the manor, or-”

The moment Pit’s hand touched the bent point in Dark Pit’s wing, he snapped upright, quickly pulling his wings against his back. “I’m fine!” he snapped, and quickly pushed himself to his feet. “Just tired, is all.” He growled under his breath and, without even looking back at the others, he stomped up the steps out of the balcony. “I’m heading back to my room.”

Pit’s hand still hovered in the air where Dark Pit’s wing had been, eyes wide and mouth agape. Slowly, he drew his hand back against himself, looking down at it with an innocent confusion. “I-I’m sorry...?”

“Hey, don’t take it personally.” A hand rested on Pit’s knee, and he looked up into Lucina’s eyes. “I’m sure he’s just being crude about the whole thing. It’s not your fault.”

Pit kept staring over her shoulder and after Dark Pit, however, concern bubbling in his gut. “I hope you’re right…”

* * *

_ Does he know? That they don’t match up? Crap, maybe he’s known all along, but didn’t think to say anything? What if they found out, any of them? _

Dark Pit’s thoughts raced as he hurried towards his room in the mid levels of the mansion, his wings aching from how tightly they were pressed against his back. It didn’t matter; Pit touching his wings had reminded him, reminded him how quickly all of this could fall apart with one good look. _What if somebody found out ours wings don't match? The whole story could fall apart right there!_  


Not only that, but it had reminded him of…

**“My goddess! What happened to Pit?!”**

Of…

**“H-he ran off to the mortal realm… I tried to save his wings, b-but…”**

_ No. No, please, not again. **Never again!** You swore to yourself you’d **never think of it again!** _

Dark Pit glanced up at a chatter, then looked over the railing to the floor beneath him. About a dozen other fighters were gathered below, talking about-and to-something he couldn’t see from up here. Among others, he saw Pit and Lucina in the crowd, with Pit squealing at whatever it was.  


_Good. They’ll be distracted._ He sighed quietly to himself, wrapping his arms around his chest. _Just… go back to bed… They’ll pass soon, surely…_

**“And my name is Dark Pit, servant to no other than myself!”**

He'd always known it wasn't the full truth, but now he was starting to think it was all one big lie.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cough* I didn't mention it on the last chapter, but any feedback is appreciated! I love knowing when you guys like something.


	3. A one-way ticket straight out of here

**The taste of ash in his mouth.**

...

**The feeling of being pinned down by an unseen force, the cracking sound and shooting pain that tore through his wings nearly driving him mad.**

...

**Curling up in a ball within his own mind, barely able to protest as he was forced to kill the same species he’d sworn to protect once upon a time.**

...

**The terror filling his mind as he stared down someone who looked _almost_ like him, remembering what he’d been warned about, thinking this harmless-looking angel was about to dive in and try to slit his throat.**

...

**The slithering feeling of scaly tendrils around him, the faint presence of something both totally unknown and horrifically familiar-**

Dark Pit felt a scream tear from his mouth as he shot upright in bed, soaked in sweat and clinging desperately to his sheets. He gasped a few times, staring down as his own lap, then swallowed, leaning in to rest his head between his legs. _No, no, don’t hurl again…_

Not like it mattered if he got barf all over himself-he knew he’d have to shower again anyway. He took a shaky breath, running a hand through his hair, cringing at the greasy, wet feeling. _Ugh, yup, gonna have to wash it._ At least it wasn’t as bad as last time, when he’d thought he could feel the soot and grime of a ruined battlefield sticking to him even as he woke…

 _I also haven’t puked yet,_ he thought dryly. _Though that could change any second now…_

He sighed under his breath, easing himself into an upright sitting position. He bit his lip, then slowly swun his legs over the edge of the bed, sliding down onto his feet. _Just gotta get to the locker room showers,_ he thought. He looked out the window-still daylight, but not for long. Man, he’d been out a while. These nightmares… they’d been destroying any chance at a good night’s sleep for the past week.

Well, technically, they'd been a bother for a while. They’d came back-for the first time since the Underworld’s defeat, long before he’d been invited to join Smash-about two months ago, not long after the attack by Galeem and… Dharkon…

**A hiss sounded in his ear, and all of a sudden, the rebellious 'clone' was gone, replaced by a scared, hopeless angel, crying out for his master to save him-**

Dark Pit stumbled, wrapping his arms around himself, almost falling forward into the closed door. He whimpered softly, shaking his head, trying to will the image away. Something about Dharkon’s presence, it had triggered something in his mind, brought back memories he’d long ignored, and…

_And it hurts…_

He leaned into the door, resting his forehead on the smooth wood, head pounding and eyes watering. _Maybe I’ll stay in here just a bit longer..._

* * *

Meta Knight looked up from the book at the sound of a door opening. “Hm?" He stood up in his chair, looking from the main foyer for this floor down the hallway. "Who is it?"

“Oh, uh, sorry, M.K.” Dark Pit cautiously leaned through the doorway of his room, looking away. Meta Knight furrowed his brow. _Strange, he's never so quiet..._ “I was just…” Dark Pit looked up halfway through speaking and fell silent, staring blankly. “Uh, what the…?”

Meta Knight looked to each side of him at the small, round creatures still seated under each wing. “Ah, yes. That.”

“Since when have we had two Kirbys?” Dark Pit walked over and knelt in front of the chair. Meta Knight noticed the bags and tear-stains under the angel’s eyes, but didn’t dare to mention it.

“This is Shadow Kirby.” Meta Knight lightly patted the grey puffball on the head, earning a quiet squeak. The pink Kirby bounced upright, running up to greet Dark Pit.

“Hey, Squishy.” Whatever had been troubling Dark Pit, playing with Kirby seemed to help, as he picked up the little puffball up and rested him on his lap. Dark Pit looked up at Shadow Kirby, who had ducked behind Meta Knight’s wing. “Hey, s’alright, little guy.” Dark Pit held out a hand, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. “My rep already got to you, huh?”

“He’s very timid,” Meta Knight said, smiling under his mask as Shadow Kirby peeked out from behind his wing shield. Slowly, Shadow Kirby crept forward, before crouching down to let Dark Pit pat his head. “He came from a mirror world to Dreamland, one decidedly more hostile than the one Kirby and I know.” Meta Knight noticed Dark Pit tense up at this, and quickly added, “Don’t worry, though. He’s a tough one; he can handle himself.”

“Y-yeah…” Dark Pit curled in on himself, clutching Kirby against his chest. Shadow Kirby seemed to notice the angel's distress, and silently hopped onto the floor, gently reaching up to touch his arm. “How’d he get here, though? Same way you guys got here from Dreamland, or...”

“No, it’s quite strange, actually.” Meta Knight put the book aside, noticing that Dark Pit hadn’t settled down. Made him hesitant to say how Shadow Kirby had made his way to the Smash arena, to be fully honest… “Dharkon and Galeem… However they were able to draw so many beings here for their attack, they left a system of portals of sorts somewhere on the grounds. Master Hand put a ban up for security’ sake, but Shadow Kirby wanted to visit, so…”

Meta Knight trailed off, realizing that Dark Pit was pulling in on himself even more, wings wrapped around his shoulders. “Are you alright, _Pequeño Cuervo_?” He narrowed his eyes, and he rested a hand gently on Dark Pit’s head. Even through the gloves, he could feel how moist and sticky his hair was. _Does he have a fever?_ He leaned in, touching a wing on Dark Pit’s cheek. “Have you fallen ill, or…?”

Dark Pit shook his head, looking away. “‘m fine, M.K. Just…” He sighed, then muttered, “...bad dreams, is all. I’ll be fine.” He uncurled and pushed himself to his feet, gently placing Kirby back on the chair. “I’m gonna go hop in a shower before dinner. See you guys then?”

Before Meta Knight could answer, Dark Pit was already leaving, hurrying towards the floor’s bathhall. “Ah, alright…” Meta Knight looked down at both versions of Kirby, sighing quietly. “Hmph…”

* * *

Portals. Portals that led, among other things, to the parallel, **mirror** version of Dreamland.

Galeem and Dharkon had access to any realm they chose. And if they could reach the place every Smasher came from, then…

_Can I get home?_

Dark Pit paced back and forth in the bathroom, his mind racing. _I could go back. I **need** to go back. I **don’t know why.**_

Maybe he hoped that going back, seeing what he’d run from, would convince him to leave it alone. Maybe he felt he should check and make sure that the evil forces that had consumed his old home would stay trapped there. Maybe he just needed to see it, to say goodbye.

He wasn’t sure what it was. But he had to go back, broken mirror be damned.

“Hm?”

Dark Pit froze, whirling around at the tiny noise behind him, only for his eyes to fall on Shadow Kirby. The little puffball was peering in through the door _(dammit, I thought I closed it!)_ , staring in curiosity.

The angel bit his lip, then dropped to his knees, holding out a hand. “H-hey, lil’ guy. C’mere, I gotta talk to you…”

Shadow Kirby tilted sideways-it would’ve been a quizzing head tilting on most creatures, but with Kirby’s species just being a ball with limbs… Either way, he quietly walked up to Dark Pit, looking down at the angel’s hand, then back up at his face. “H… Hi?”

Dark Pit grinned. Gods, this thing was _adorable_. He gently picked up Shadow Kirby, holding the creature against his chest. “Hi to you, too…” He looked down, his smile fading as he added, “Us mirror ‘verse people have to stick together, huh?”

Shadow Kirby looked up in surprise, and Dark Pit sighed, looking away. “I’m only telling you because you’re so quiet, alright? Not a word to anyone…” He petted the tiny creature, wings arching to wrap around the two of them. Kirby's species, whatever it was, had a strange habit of taking his emotional walls, finding the small cracks between the bricks, and slipping in with a picnic basket full of sweets to say hello.

He felt a tiny bump against his chin, and looked down to find Shadow Kirby had crawled up his chest, nuzzling into his neck. He chuckled to himself, lifting the little ball to his face and pressing his forehead against where its own was supposed to be. “Thanks, bud.” He pulled it away, narrowing his eyes. “Look, I have a really important question for you. I-I understand if you don’t want anything to do with this, but… But I need your help.” He looked up, checking one more time, as if expecting somebody to have entered in the past few minutes without his noticing. He sighed, looking down at Shadow Kirby. "Can you show me the portal you got here through?"

The little grey ball tilted, then bobbed up and down, babbling excitedly. Dark Pit couldn’t help but smile. _Finally, maybe I can put all of this to bed._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to admit I'm not a native Spanish speaker, nor am I anywhere near fluent, so if any of Meta Knight's Spanish is off, please tell me so I can fix it!


	4. You forget how to want once you've had it all

_Knock knock._

“Pittoo?”

Silence.

_Knock knock knock._

“Pittoo, are you up?”

Nothing.

_Knockknockknockknockknock-_

“Pit! For goodness’ sake!”

Pit froze, looking over his shoulder in surprise. “L-Lady Palutena!” He spun around, hiding the plastic bowl behind his back. “Don’t sneak up on me, heh…!”

Palutena sighed, massaging her temples. “Pit, I can’t believe Dark Pit slept through all _that._ Please, just leave him alone.” She noticed the disappointed look in Pit’s eyes, and the way his wings drooped over his shoulders. With a sigh, she added, more gently this time, “I’m sure he just needs a little bit to rest, alright?” She placed a hand on Pit’s shoulder.

Pit looked away, brow furrowed, but he eventually nodded. “Yeah, you’re right…” He pulled out the bowl he’d brought, filled with loose plastic bags of various snacks and junk food. “I’ll just leave this out here for him.” He turned to face the doorway, them groaned quietly, shaking his head. “No, somebody’s gonna wander by and eat it before he can, knowing this place...!” He looked over his shoulder sheepishly, muttering, “I’m just gonna… slip in there and leave it on his nightstand!”

Palutena rolled her eyes, but smiled. Pit was certainly committed to making sure Dark Pit was alright after his little episode-Pit had, of course, come running to his goddess with his concern for Pittoo's health. While both angels could be a bit... _much_ at times, she had to admire Pit's dedication, and she was certain Dark Pit felt the same way...

Pit, meanwhile, had jiggled Dark Pit’s doorknob, muttering to himself how he was surprised that it was unlocked. He leaned into it, pushing it open with a creek. “Pittoo?” He kept his voice low, continuing, “I’m just leaving you some snacks, don’t mind m-”

There was a loud clattering as the bowl hit the floor, and Palutena ran in after her angel. “Pit! What’s wrong?!”

Pit was frozen, looking around the room in horror. Dark Pit wasn’t in his bed; in fact, very little _was,_ with the bedding all but torn from the mattress. The shelf where he kept his staff-something he insisted on ever since Galeem’s attack-was empty, and his drawers were all open, many of them thrown to the ground.

Pit shook himself from his stunned stupor, eyes darting around the room, looking for any sign of his brother. “Pittoo!” He ran for the bed, looking under it, then for the closet. “W-where-?!”

“Pit, calm down! I-I’m sure he’s still in the mansion.” Palutena didn’t quite believe herself, but she couldn’t have Pit freaking out on her now. She checked the desk-not like Dark Pit could’ve left a note, he was no more literate than Pit-but she was desperate. _Maybe he left a poorly-done doodle or something?_

“Is everything alright?” Palutena turned, seeing Meta Knight flutter into the room. He landed on the ground next to the bed, looking around in disbelief. “What…”

“M.K.!” Pit ran up to Meta Knight, his wings twitching anxiously, not even noticing as he trampled the food he’d brought with him. “Have you seen Pittoo?! I-I went to leave him some food, b-but-”

“Easy, easy, _Pajarito_!” Meta Knight jumped onto the foot of the bedframe, grabbing Pit’s shoulders. “Panicking will get us nowhere.” He sighed, adding, “Though I do understand the appeal.” He flew into the air, darting from the room. “Quickly, ask the other fighters if they’ve seen him.”

“Got it!” Pit turned back to Dark Pit’s bed, lip quivering. “Please be okay, Pittoo…”

* * *

He was no clone, it was true. He was the fallen, traitorous warrior of a doomed world, an angel who’d refused to die with his home.

And if he had to relive it to get his peace? Well, then, he was going to do it right.

Pit had been amused when he’d first seen Dark Pit’s alternate costumes, assigned by Master Hand. He _hadn’t_ been quite so amused when the dark angel had frantically ripped off the scarf of his ‘light’ outfit, demanding he never have to wear it. How the weird omnipotent hand knew what his own uniform looked like was beyond him, and he wished he was more surprised.

But for the first time since joining the tournament-really, the first _willing_ time since before the war in his realm had taken a turn for the worse-he’d pulled the white chiton from the drawer he'd shoved it into, followed by the bright red scarf that added a flash of color, the biggest difference between these robes and Pit's own outfit. He’d even dug out the box that held the sharp straight pins, distinct from the round ones inlaid with gemstones that fastened his 'normal' clothes. These were thin twists of gold, inlaid at the dull end with the crest of the Goddess of Light. (Dark Pit was just thankful that Pit had not seen them, not questioned, not wondered why they were different.) To top it all off, he’d thrown his Silver Bow aside, grabbing the staff his goddess had given him years ago instead, hoping that it wouldn't be restricted any more once he left the mansion grounds.

And now he stood, having just barely dodged the handful of fighters that were still wandering their way towards dinner. Gods, he was hungry. Maybe he should’ve stopped for dinner, left while the others slept instead, but…

But could he really face all of them, even one more time? The look of fear in Pit’s eyes, the worry etched into Lucina and Link’s faces-oh, gods, so many of them would look on him with uncertainty of some form or another, and Meta Knight would be politely pressing Shadow Kirby for answers, and at some point, the floodgates would open, and either Shadow Kirby would say something to spill the beans or somebody would say the wrong thing, and either way, Dark Pit would break, the whole story-the whole _lie_ would break down in front of him, in front of damn near everyone he knew. Pity would turn to horror, and concern to disgust, the rare few friendships he’d built crumbling away as they realized it was all built on a lie, that he was never who he said he was, that he was no reformed Underworld creation, but a fallen hero that had willingly, knowingly left his home to burn and-

“Here!”

Dark Pit shook himself out of his own thoughts, breath still uneasy. He turned to the voice, forcing a smile as he saw Shadow Kirby waving at him from behind a grove of trees. _You have to do this._ _Make up a lie about going to see some other world. Just stupid, reckless **Pittoo,** running off to fight creatures from another world without telling us! They’ll be mad, but they’ll believe it, surely!_

He sighed, biting his lip, glancing over his shoulder one more time. _As long as I make it back, that is._

A chill ran up his spine as he walked the courtyard, passing by dark trees with low-hanging branches, following the faint puff of pale grey into the unknown. He struggled to focus, not wanting to look around himself too much, but also not wanting to think about what could happen. He refused to think about the possibility that the Underworld was waiting for him after all this time, the possibility he’d be stuck between realms due to some cosmic screwup, the tiny but ever-looming chance that this was the last time he’d see any of the others.

Maybe he **should** say goodbye...

A low voice could be heard grumbling, and Dark Pit’s breath caught in his throat at the sound of something whacking against the branches behind him. He turned slowly, ever so slowly, only to catch a glimpse of a large shadow moving through the trees, barely noticeable by the now-faint light of the mansion. Only then did he spin on his heel and take off at a dead run.

_It’s too late now._

He grabbed Shadow Kirby off of the ground, holding the puffball to his chest and hissing a question to it.

_I’m committed to it-_

“Freeze!” A ball of light soared over his head, and he ducked, bobbed, and weaved.

_-and I can’t turn back until I finish it._

Two pairs of red eyes lit up when they fell on what could only be described as a tear in reality-a gash of color in the middle of thin air. Dark Pit would've taken the time to circle it, try to work it out, but there wasn't time.

**“Goodbye.”**


	5. A night where everything's not as it seems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't normally get THAT picky about what music I wanted readers to hear, but I listened to 'The Dark Realm' from Ultimate's OST so many times while writing Dark Pit's segment in this, and I recommend listening to it while reading it, too!

A crowd was gathered in the courtyard by the time Master Hand floated back. He turned to Crazy Hand, raising a figurative eyebrow, while Crazy babbled out an incoherent response to the fighters’ yelling.

“Enough!” All fell silent, albeit reluctantly. It was going to take a convincing statement to keep them from rising up against him.

“Well, I heard the little mirror-brat heading towards Dharkon’s rift, so I guess he must’ve went that way.” Master Hand shook disapprovingly. “As I see it, if he wants to run off and get brutally murdered, then who are we to deny him that right?”

 _That_ was _not_ a convincing statement.

Master Hand was barely fazed when Pit ran at the center platform, a snarl on his face and fists balled. “How dare you-!” The angel yelped as a blue glow enveloped his wings, Palutena holding him just far enough back that he couldn’t break Master Hand’s knuckles the way he wanted to. “He’s gonna get killed in there by himself!”

“Yes, that’s what I just said. Please pay attention,” Master Hand grumbled. This wasn’t the first time Pit had taken a swing at him-really, this was just barely the first time this tournament.

Meta Knight cleared his throat quietly. “I… I believe this is my fault.” He sighed, looking away guiltily. “I told him about the rift right before he fled. I know he needed to be warned of it, but now he's gone and ventured into it. I can’t help but feel responsible…”

“Yes, you should.” Master Hand turned away, continuing, “So I say we just let the baby bird make his way back to the nest on his own. Is that...” He trailed off, trying to find the most appealing term. " _'Cool beans'_?"

Silence hung in the air, but only for a moment, before Lucina stepped forward from the crowd, grabbing Pit’s shoulder. “It’s alright, Pit. We’ll find him.” She turned to the crowd, yelling out, “And who among you is going with us?!”

“That is exactly what I said _not_ to do.” Master Hand groaned, pointing at Lucina aggressively. “Alright, young lady, what have we said about the revolutionary acti- _WHOA, hey,_ watch where you **point that** -!” He'd interrupted himself when Link stepped forward, unsheathing his blade; with the hand recoiling back while the Hylian stepped up to meet Lucina and Pit.

Palutena quickly followed Link’s example, teleporting up to her angel’s side. She took note of the tears threatening to form in Pit’s eyes and summoned one of her own wings, draping it over his shoulder. “It’s alright, dear. We’ll find him.”

“Um, one problem.” All eyes fell on Mario, who stepped forward, hat quite literally in hand. “With this portal open and the Spirit Wastelands still active, we can’t just leave the mansion unguarded.”

“Yes, what he said!” Master Hand bobbed up and down in a nodding motion.

“And I don't think we should trust the Hands to keep an eye on things all by themselves…” Mario shot an uncharacteristic glare over his shoulder.

“Yes, exactl- Wh- **Hey**!”

"But..." He sighed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “We should have more than enough people to send a rescue party in after Dark Pit, if we split up evenly.”

“I will join.” Meta Knight fluttered upwards, perching atop a bench in order to be seen. “I’m the one who told him about the portal; I feel it is my duty to help ensure his safe return.” Kirby hopped up next to Meta Knight, squeaking excitedly. Meta Knight chuckled, adding, “And it seems that Kirby is with me.”

Pit smiled warmly, watching the other fighters discuss who among themselves would be the home guard and who would be the rescue party. While it was almost always for unpleasant reasons, he loved when the whole cast came together to help, and this was no exception on either front. He had some of the greatest heroes (and villains) in the multiverse on his side now, all to help him find his friend!

_I just hope it's enough._

* * *

Dark Pit stumbled as he came through the rift, barely catching himself before he hit the ground. He groaned quietly, rubbing his forehead, only to freeze when he looked up.

The sky swirled with dark purple and red clouds. The ground beneath his hands was scorched, leaving ash that filled his fingerprints. Large, jagged rock formations surrounded him. It was like what he’d seen when he, Lucina and the others had escaped Dracula’s castle, but… it didn’t perfectly match anything from before.

Still, he knew where he was.

He took a deep breath, pushing himself to his feet. “Dharkon’s realm.” He looked sideways, seeing Shadow Kirby had taken a sliding dive into the dirt. Dark Pit gasped, dropping to his knees and pulling the little creature out of the ground. “Shaby!” He turned the puffball over in his hands, biting his lip. “You alright?!”

‘Shaby,’ as he was now being called, looked down at the ground, shaking himself off. After a moment, he smiled brightly up at Dark Pit, waving his arms. “Yeah!”

Dark Pit sighed in relief, shoulders slumping. “G-good. Don’t know what I would’ve done if you got hurt…” He looked around again, a shiver running down his spine. “So, this is the place…?”

Shaby bobbed in his hands, wiggling free and hopping to the ground. He looked around for a moment, then waved at Dark Pit. “H-here!” With that, he took off at a run, making a beeline for a a part of the spike wall.

“Hold on!” Dark Pit grunted, following Shaby as fast as he could. The puffball froze, then puffed up and fluttered upwards over the spikes. Dark Pit grumbled under his breath, spreading his wings and hoping the Power of Flight he’d been given for the tournament could still carry him here. Sure enough, a soothing glow enveloped his wings, and he took a boosted jump over the spikes, landing on his hands and knees on the other side.

“Superhero... landing…” He groaned, rubbing his hands from where the harsh soil, almost like broken glass, had pressed into them. No open wounds, but it still hurt like hell... 

“Huh?” He felt a light pat on his head, and he looked up to see Shaby looking on in concern. “Frien’?”

“Yeah, yeah, frien’s fine…” He froze, looking over Shaby. The spikes had hidden most of it from view, but now he could see a dome-topped building, like a library or museum, if it had been abandoned for decades and lightly singed by the fires of hell. It was at the top of a small hill, amidst a field of broken _something_. A thin path was cut through the broken ground, leading up to a door.

“What’s…” He pushed himself to his feet, staring at the building. He felt a tugging at his tunic, and his eyes fell back on Shaby. “That where we’re going?”

Shaby nodded. Dark Pit sighed, looking up at the building again. This was it, huh? The moment of truth. He… he thought he’d be more excited. Instead, all he felt was a deep, gross churning in his gut. Not even a proper pang of anxiety or dread, just… A hollow emptiness. A fear not of what was to come, but of what had already happened.

But it was too late to turn back now. He bent over, picking up Shaby and adjusting the Staff hanging off of his left hip. It was time.

* * *

It was time.

Lucina looked back at the rough half of the roster she was bringing with her. Link was signing rapidly at his other two incarnations, leaving them with marching orders. Meta Knight seemed to be trying to console Dedede, who didn’t seem comfortable about being left behind without his knight. Her own father who talking with the other heroes of their realm, with Marth, Ike, and Robin staying behind to watch over the mansion.

Most active of all, as usual, was Pit. The angel was pacing back and forth in the courtyard, wringing his hands roughly. Palutena had gotten him to stop once or twice to speak to her, but he’d only hold the conversation for a few sentences before resuming his fretting. He’d stop and nod to one of the other fighters if they looked his way, but the Goddess of Light had been the only one to get him to talk since he’d tried to rip Master Hand apart.

Lucina sighed to herself, making her way over to Pit’s side. _Well, I may as well try…_ “Pit?”

Pit glanced up at her, nodding the same way he had to everyone else.

“Pit, it’s alright. We’ll find him, got it?”

“Hm.” He turned away, crossing his arms loosely over his chest.

Lucina had to bite back a groan. “Pit, what’s wrong? You’re never this quiet.” She paused, thinking back on her own comrades, the ones that Pit reminded her of-Inigo, Cynthia, Owain. _Then_ she thought back on the night before they’d battled Galeem and Dharkon for the last time, the moment he’d realized that Palutena was being directly used by Galeem to prop up his own forces. “You don’t… Blame yourself, do you?”

Pit didn’t answer for a while. Finally, he said, “He was acting strange for a while. I… I should’ve known something was wrong.” He groaned, burying his head in his hands. “A-and even now, even though I know _something_ was bothering him, something- something drove him to leave- I-I don’t even know _what!_ ” He looked up at Lucina, tears starting to well in his eyes. “He’s my _best friend_ , Lucy! And I don’t even know how to help him!”

Lucina lowered her head, then rested a hand on Pit’s shoulder. “Please, Pit, don’t beat yourself up over it. If he wanted you to know, he would’ve said something. He trusts you immensely, he would’ve…” She trailed off, seeing the wounded glimmer in Pit’s eyes, and realizing what he was thinking.

 _Then why_ didn’t _he tell Pit?_

It really wasn’t… _that_ obvious that something was wrong, was it? There was no way that _nobody_ had an idea, that _nobody_ had gotten anything out of him if it was this bad, and yet…

Then why didn’t he tell anyone? What was so bad as to drive him away, convince him to revisit Dharkon’s realm, and yet, was something he couldn’t tell any of them?

Pit laughed quietly to himself, looking down at his feet. “I-I know he’s more complex than just _that_ , but…” He looked up, eyes sparkling, smile forced. “What kinda idiot can’t even understand his own _clone_?!”

Before Lucina could say anything further, a thunderous clap rose up over the courtyard. “Alright, you delinquents!” Master Hand blinked into existence above the crowd. “You don’t get to climb up _my_ back to get into that portal and then dilly or dally. Move it!” He pointed towards a patch of trees at the edge of the courtyard, where Lucina could vaguely make out an odd glint of color between the trees. “Go follow the masquerader and the foul-tempered ostrich in there, and come back whenever you retrieve our second most annoying clone. Run along, now!”

Lucina checked her gear one more time, raising an eyebrow as she did. “But then, who’s the first most an-”

“You ever seen Mewtwo? Got kicked out of Brawl for being unsportsmanlike.” Pit sighed, wiping his eyes and looking away. Lucina draped an arm over his shoulder, causing him to freeze. He looked over at her, and she could see his bottom lip quivering slightly. “We… We’ll find him, right?” He looked away again, seemingly unable to maintain eye contact for more than a second at a time. "Just tell me, one more time, that we’re gonna find him.”

Lucina pulled him against her side, holding him tightly. The angel stood limply under her arm, making no effort to lean against her or push himself deeper into the embrace. “Of course we’ll find him. I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: This is a very serious story, and everyone in it should take it seriously.  
> Master Hand: *does this*  
> Me: ...
> 
> Eh, we'll chalk it up to him still being cranky after World of Light.  
> Speaking of which, somebody asked about Dharkon being in the character tags, and that answer will some iiinnnn *checks doc* two or three chapters! Hang in there, folks, we're on a bumpy ride, and it ain't stopping for a little while longer!


	6. Ignore the rise, but everyone sees you fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Normally I'd put this at the end, but by the end of the chapter, you hopefully won't have time to think about this fun lil' cameo, so I'll say now that I accidentally included a character that was basically an expy for a character from a game my siblings and I have been playing on the Switch, so that's fun! Lemme know if you pick up on it.

Dim spots of light shone down from the high ceiling, barely illuminating the large chamber. As much open air as there was, the dark walls, floor, ceiling and pillars cancelled out the effect, creating an oppressive atmosphere that ate up the light. The air inside was chilled, mismatched with the burned ground outside the hall.

Dark Pit felt a shudder run down his spine, looking around the room. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected. Maybe something a bit less… Clean? He honestly would’ve sooner thought of a pile of bones and bodies as Dharkon’s style than this.

“Alright, Shaby,” he murmured under his breath, holding the creature to his chest. “Let’s see what kinda trouble we’ve gotten ourselves into, huh?”

“I hardly think you’re in much more trouble than you’ve ever been in, child.”

Dark Pit froze, spinning on his heel, just in time to see a hooded figure appear from one of the shadowy hallways. He couldn’t make out any features, and the voice did nothing to help him there-it almost sounded like multiple voices speaking at once. “Now, what are you children doing back here? I would’ve thought you were both much happier where you are than where you were.”

Unconsciously, Dark Pit felt his grip tighten on Shaby. “Who the fu-”

“Language, little angel.” The hooded figure walked towards him, and he instinctively threw Shaby to the ground behind him, grabbing his staff from his sash. But the figure didn’t attack, simply tsking as they walked by. “My, I see her warnings still hold onto you, don't they?”

“Her warn-” Dark Pit cut himself off, eyes widening. That… That had to mean… “You don’t know anything,” he growled, turning and pointing his staff at the figure, carefully stepping between them and Shaby. “You don’t have a damn clue what you’re talking about. What, so just 'cause I don’t want some weirdo so close to me means-”

“Oh, child.” The figure sighed under their breath, a tiny cloud puffing up from under the hood. “I don’t mean myself. I meant-”

The figure froze, looking up at the wall in front of them. Dark Pit followed its gaze, taking in the vague images he saw on the wall-faint and long-faded art, depicting scenes that varied from familiar to beyond his imagination. He squinted; then felt a shot of ice through his veins as he finally made out one depicting a ruined temple, an empty frame, glass shards on the ground-with the other side of the frame showing the same mirror, in the middle of the winding halls of a labyrinth. “What _did_ you mean, then?” he muttered, unease bubbling in his gut.

The figure turned back to him, and he locked eyes onto the inky blackness peering at him from under the hood. “If you really don’t still believe what your goddess said of that world, then why do you still hold this secret from them?”

Dark Pit stood still, his breathing labored. He… How did this thing know?!

The figure tilted sideways and added, “I know you must wonder, Pit. But who I am isn't as important as where I am.” The creature turned, waving a cloaked arm around the room, gesturing to the many hallways that stemmed off from the chamber. “I can see so much from this little room. I know quite a bit about your old life.” They shook their head, mumbling, “I’m so sorry about your wings, little one.”

**“I’ve had enough, you hear me?! I won’t be held under your thumb any longer!”**

**_*CRACK*_ **

_“Shut up!”_

Dark Pit stumbled backwards, tripping over Shaby. He fell to the floor, one fist curled so tightly around the staff that he thought one or the other would break. “Shut up, _shut up!_ Leave me alone!” He shook his head, tears welling in his eyes. “Why won’t you _leave me alone?!_ ”

“What good has being left alone done you, little angel?” The figure shook their hood, stepping forward. Shaby nuzzled closer to the angel, and he subconsciously put an arm around the puffball. “You’ve been alone with this ever since you fled, and where has that taken you?” The creature knelt in front of him, and asked, their voice low, “Tell me, child. Why did you return? What do you plan to find there, in those ruins?”

Dark Pit looked away, wings curling over himself. “I… I don’t know.” He sighed, the water in his eyes finally starting to spill over, his voice just a whimper, and he desperately clung to Shaby for comfort. “I just know I’ve have these nightmares since Galeem and Dharkon attacked, a-and I just want them to _stop_.” He looked up, unable to see anything beneath that shadow under their hood. “Look, i-if you’re so smart, then tell me. Going back… Will it stop the nightmares? Can I finally find some peace again?”

The figure sighed thoughtfully. “Well, it’s certainly one way to do so. There are easier ways, but none of them would be taken by you.” They hummed a quiet tune to themselves, while Dark Pit sat, taking in what it had said. “I don’t believe there's anything that can be done to keep you from there, little one. Is that correct?”

“If that's what I have to do to escape all of this?” Dark Pit looked up, eyes set and hard, a broken light faintly glinting in them. “Then... no. _Nothing_ can keep me out."

“That’s what I thought.” The hooded figure stood up, offering its 'hand' to Dark Pit. “Then, child, I should probably tell you that someone is on their way to stop you. You should probably get going.”

“Stop me…?” Dark Pit looked out down the hall he’d come from. After a moment of silence, he nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I need to go.” He turned, raising an eyebrow at the offered ‘hand.’ He close his fingers around the sleeve, which collapsed under his grasp. “Where am I going, though?”

“Simple.” The figure spun around, dragging Dark Pit with it, pointing with the other arm to another hallway. As far as Dark Pit could tell as he stumbled to his feet, it was no different from the rest of the hallways, but what did he know? “Down that way. Very down that way, in fact. Same place your friend came from, and whatever you have left from home can take you back.” An empty sleeve patted Dark Pit on the head, earning a surprised yelp. “Run along now, little angel.”

“G-got it.” Dark Pit looked down the hallway, then added, “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to have piloted a boat down a river at some point, have you? You remind me of somebody, is a-”

And of course, by the time he looked over his shoulder, they were gone.

* * *

“Wait, have we went this way already?”

“No, no, that was this o- Er, wait…”

“Oh, no, we’re lost, aren’t we?”

Link bit his lip, walking past the cluster of fighters. The groups had split up-first when they’d come through the rift, then the group that entered the strange hall had split even further. He was in the largest group-the one with Pit in it. Nobody was willing to put full stock in just his instinct, but…

“No, guys, over here!”

 _...But it’s all we have to go on right now,_ Link thought bitterly. He took a shaky breath, looking over his shoulder at Meta Knight, Kirby, Lucina and Red-all of whom had followed Pit, seemingly under the same thought of being most likely to hold him back, if needed. All eyes fell on the angel, who was standing in a doorway with no clear dissimilarities to any other doorway they’d tried so far.

“Pit, are you sure?” Lucina asked, but before she could get an answer, Pit was already bolting down the hallway. “Pit! Would you-”

“He’s gone,” Red grumbled, scratching the back of his head. “Man, are we sure we should follow him? Maybe we should check a couple others first, we’re running out, so-"

“LINK!” Meta Knight yelled as the Hylian took off after Pit. “Don’t encourage him!”

 _But it hasn’t clearly failed us yet,_ Link thought, and that was enough convincing for him. After all, it wasn’t like they had any better leads, so Pit’s weird twin sense was all they had to go on.

Link slid to a stop behind Pit, who had suddenly stopped mid-stride. Link grabbed Pit’s shoulders, trying to push himself to a full stop, and he felt how tense Pit was. “I-I think… He’s close. But…” He was frozen in place, looking forward down the dark hallway, barely lit up by glowing stones in the walls.

Link didn’t hear footsteps behind him-this stupid, creepy place seemed to just… eat sounds-but he saw, out of the corner of his eye, Lucina slow to a stop next to him. “Pit?” she asked, brow furrowed. “What’s wrong?”

Pit’s head turned to the floor, then slowly rolled to face the others. “What am I even supposed to say to him?!” He shook his head, voice starting to speed up and crack as he spun to face them fully and continued, “H-he just ran off, and he always tells me when something’s this wrong-why’d he _leave_ , then? A-am I’m supposed to demand an answer, or just be glad he's alright, o-or-?”

“Pit!” Red grabbed Pit’s arms, pulling the angel close. “It’s fine, calm down!”

“Just… be gentle on him, is all I can say.” Lucina came up behind Pit, rubbing his back gently. Kirby ran up to him, nuzzling the angel’s knees. “I’m sure there’s a good explanation for all this. Just give him a chance to explain.”

“R-right,” Pit muttered. Red let go of his arms, then nodded slightly at Link. The two walked around Pit, and Red pointed silently down the hallway. Link nodded, barely making out Pit asking another question as they left. He could only imagine Pit had a thousand more on top of it.

Link shook his head as he rounded the corner and Pit’s voice-and Lucian response-faded off abruptly. Red sighed, looking at Link briefly. “That clone of his is gonna have to give _me_ an answer, at least.”

Link nodded, signing, _“It was a bit cold to run off like that. I wonder…”_ He trailed off-so to speak-when he saw the confused and embarrassed look on Red’s face. _Right, doesn’t know Hyrulian sign…_ Link shook his head, looking back down the hallway. Well, I could’ve chosen a better partner…

The path ahead split, with an alcove off to one side along with the main path. Red silently broke off to check the alcove, while Link picked up speed forward. He rounded the corner, expecting to see another empty hallway-

And, well, it certainly _looked_ like that at first. But as he squinted his eyes, and slowed his run, and reached to his belt…

“Link?” He faintly heard from behind him, just in time to tell his head ‘ _just wait for Red to call out to him!_ ’ but by now his hand was already more interested in his first idea, and-

Dark Pit turned just in time to get hit in the face with a boomerang, while Link was frozen, arm still raised, when Red got to him and hit him lightly in the side of the head.

Dark Pit stumbled backwards, rubbing his forehead with a groan. He lifted his head and froze, eyes locking onto Red and Link. “W… What?” He stumbled backwards, and Link could faintly see a doorway behind the angel. He attention was barely held, however, before the sounds of footsteps suddenly appeared behind him.

Link didn't dare to look behind him-some instinct in his mind demanded he keep his eyes on Dark Pit, who pulled back at what must've been the other four behind Link and red. “How... How did you guys find me?!”

“Well, it’s a long story…” Red started.

Kirby started babbling, and Shadow Kirby hopped out from behind Dark Pit, running to meet the pink puffball.

“There you are, little one!” Meta Knight sighed, rubbing his forehead. Kirby made another series of noises, and Meta Knight responded, “I really don’t think he needs _that_ detail…”

“Look, whatever it is, it still can’t be bad as the trick staircase Link and I found.” Red shook his head, turning to Dark Pit. “Really, the better question is, how did _you_ get here?”

“And why?” Lucina emerged from the group, stepping to the front, and Link could see Dark Pit tense up. “What are you doing all the way out here?!”

“I…” Dark Pit looked away, wings curling against his back, arms crossing over his chest. “It doesn’t matter, alright? Just… just go.”

 _“No!”_ Link barely even saw the white-and-tan blur that shot past him until Pit grabbed Dark Pit’s scarf, jerking the other angel closer to himself. “Are you out of your mind?! You can’t just- run off into this- this _hellhole_ and expect us to accept that!”

Dark Pit jerked himself out of Pit’s grasp, but he was still basically trapped in that corner, between the doorway and the other angel. Why he didn’t try flee through the door wasn’t clear-maybe it was locked, maybe he really _was_ going to hear Pit out.

“Y-you- what were you _thinking?!_ I don’t understand!” Dark Pit wouldn’t meet Pit’s eyes, and Link could hear Pit’s throat seizing up, could picture the tears running down his face. “I-I don’t under _stand_ , why would you risk your life like this? What was so bad that you couldn’t tell _any_ of us?!”

“It’s none of your business. Any of yours.” Dark Pit turned away fully. “None of you should have to bother with me.”

“Wha- You’re our friend!” Lucina cried out, the first one to speak since the angels had begun arguing. “You didn’t really think we’d want you to face whatever this is on your own, did you?”

“ _Pequeño Cuervo,_ please, we care for you.” Meta Knight stepped forward next. “If you could just let us in-”

“Care?” Dark Pit looked over his shoulder, his face shadowed by his own hair and the poor lighting. “Please. You guys don’t even know the real me.”

“ _I_ do!” Pit stomped up to Dark Pit, fists balled, wings puffed. “I know you better than-”

Dark Pit cut him off with a wild, manic laugh, spinning on his heel to face Pit. “What, just because I’m your _clone_?!” He narrowed his eyes, whole body shaking as he approached Pit, who started taking small, nervous steps backwards in response. “You never figured it out, huh?! Why are we different people, then? Why am I more violent, disloyal, jaded?” He dropped his head, a single drop of water splashing to the floor beneath his eyes. “Why aren’t we the _same_ then, Pit-stain?!”

Pit was frozen in place, staring hopelessly at Dark Pit. Link wanted to rush in to help-he was sure the others did too-but feared making things worse. _Pit has the best chance at making things right._

“You… We _aren’t_ different, are we?” Pit reached out desperately, fingers barely grazing Dark Pit’s shoulder. “You said it yourself, we’re just… ‘two sides of the same coin,’ right?”

“What if I lied to you?! Dark Pit recoiled backwards suddenly, eyes wild, slapping Pit’s hand away. “What if I’m something _worse_ than just a distorted version of you? What if it’s just another lie, just like every lie I’ve told you, ever since Pandora let me into this world?!”

There was a soft *ding* from the doorway behind him, and he turned away, slouched and defeated. “You don’t even know what my name was.”

Pit only froze for a second longer, visibly shaking his head, shaking himself back to reality, and before any of the others could’ve said anything to either one of them, he ran forward, lunging to grab the other angel. “ _Dark Pit,_ don’t!” Without thinking, his fingers slipped away from his other’s shoulder, instead closing around his wing, and-

Dark Pit had largely grown out of his old habit of answering his problems with violence. It was the only reason he was able to catch Pit so off-guard.

It all happened so fast. Pit fell backwards to the ground, hand reaching up to grab his face. If he wasn't quasi-immortal, his nose probably would've been broken. As it was, he just panted in pain, while Lucina had run forward and caught him before he could hit his head on the stone beneath him. The doorway *ding*'d again, as if to remind everyone what they were doing here. It opened-an elevator, it was an elevator, and Dark Pit was now getting away from them _again_ -

“Don’t!” In a flash of movement, Dark Pit leveled the end of his staff with Link’s chest as soon as Link started to run towards him. The Hylian froze, his heart in his throat, staring at the barrel of the staff, then up at Dark Pit, hopelessness shimmering in his eyes, silently begging the angel to stop.

If Dark Pit noticed-or cared-he didn’t show it. Instead, he slowly lowered his staff, then dropped his gaze-ever so briefly-to Pit, who was still sprawled on the floor, rubbing his face. Similarly, if he noticed the horrified, disgusted glare Lucina shot him, he refused to acknowledge it, either. “Don’t follow me.” He looked up at Shadow Kirby and nodded curtly. “Thanks for the help, little guy.”

Everyone was either in a state of shock, too concerned with Pit's safety, or they just feared getting attacked themselves, because after this whole trek to find him, they let Dark Pit enter the elevator without a fight, and could only watch as he left them behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the words of Yahtzee Croshaw of Zero Punctuation, who I don't watch but two of my siblings do...
> 
> "Shit's About To Get Fuckyyyyy~!"  
> (Or it already got a bit fucky, IDK)


	7. Was it out of love or out of fear?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick warning, before we get into it: this is finally the chapter where we get a look into how Dark Pit lived in his version of Skyworld. As such, I mean it when I say there's a big trigger warning for mentions of abuse in this chapter, including one mention of pretty graphic physical abuse. There's also a new warning for self-directed ableist language. THIS is when you get a good look at how Dark Pit ended up the way he was when he first appeared in 'Uprising,' and it's not pretty.

Dark Pit was in the elevator for about ten seconds before he broke down, and frankly, he was impressed that he made it that long.

He felt his wings shaking, and he collapsed backwards into the wall. Vaguely, he could feel the tears beginning to flood his eyes, the sharp gasps lighting his throat afire, but it all felt so distant, as though he was playing witness to his own breakdown.

**“Look what you’ve done, angel.”**

Another muffled laugh bubbled up in his chest as he slid down the wall, head inclined upward to stare at the ceiling, shins banging against the walls of the tight space as he did.

**“Look at the mess you’ve made.”**

“I know, I _know_ -” Oh, as if she could hear him now. He was alone, alone, all alone, like before he’d left, like he was supposed to be-

**“This is why none of them bothered with you. You really are no better than the monsters we saved you from.”**

A scream tore from his throat, and he fell forward, burying his face in his knees. She’d never said that to his face, no, but he could imagine it, and he knew she’d must have thought such things before, and really, was she wrong? He’d-

He’d hurt his best friend.

His breath was coming up in short gasps as he lifted his hand in front of his eyes, staring at the faint red where it was still flushed from striking Pit. _Pit…_ Pit, the only one who’d given the other a second, third chance, even if he never knew how much it meant, who had no way of knowing what he was doing was wrong-

_He tried. He thought I meant the name the Underworld gave me, the one I introduced myself under nowadays._

_He couldn’t have known I meant **his** name._

He whimpered out loud, staring at his own hand in horror, numbness sinking in, dulling the ache of his legs from making the journey here; the throbbing of his head as the adrenaline faded, letting him think again. He didn't _want_ to think again.

_**“You don’t belong with them.”** _

“No, I don’t,” he muttered, responding to an unreal voice. He sniffled, wiping his eyes with his scarf, rubbing away the tears that tried to fall.

**_“You belong here.”_ **

“Yeah.” He heard the elevator *ding* again, and he looked up at the opening doors. He took a deep breath, realizing what he had to do.

_**“You never should have left us. We’re the only ones who would take you.”** _

He didn’t answer this time, just pushing himself to his feet, leaning against the wall for support. He stepped out, expecting to see another series of hallways, or a large, open room, but instead-

There was just one small, empty doorway, about ten feet across from him. A small bowl sat on a stand next to it, and he remembered the hooded figure’s words. _“Something from home”_ -he doubted any of his robes were the same he’d worn then, and he wasn’t quite willing to give up his staff. All he had was…

_**“Rest in the hell you left us to.”** _

He nodded obediently as he removed his laurel crown, placing in the bowl. A faint flash lit up the frame, and slowly, but surely, a glassy substance poured in from the edges to fill it, reflecting his own visage back at him.

A broken smile pulled at his mouth as he stepped forward, running his hand over the mirror. “I’m coming, my goddess.”

* * *

Nobody was sure how Pit would react, but everyone had their guesses.

Some expected him to bounce straight up, brushing it off with he same bubbly force of will that had powered him this far into life. Others knew him better, knew that even _his_ spirit wasn’t quite limitless, and expected him to start weeping, or yelling in fury, or-

Nobody expected him to simply stand up, not looking at any of them as they tried to comfort him, just reaching up to press the ‘call’ button on the elevator.

This was, in part, because nobody could see Pit’s thoughts, which had run a mile a minute from the second he reached out, meeting his _clone_ -his **other** - _ **his**_ eyes, trying desperately to figure out what went wrong. He’d scolded himself at first-

_He still hates that name, he just pretended he didn’t mind to spare your feelings, or maybe because he thought you wouldn’t change… You would’ve, if you’d known, right?!_

-but then, as soon as Dark Pit-that wasn’t the right answer either, _what do I even call you anymore_ -his **brother** had lashed out still, and it was when Pit touched his wing, _he never liked people touching his wings, what were you thinking?!_

-But then Pit thought about it, back to the constant denials of being a clone, and maybe that was more than pride. Maybe those fears of what this reflection meant for Pit’s heart were coming from the wrong angle all along.  And, really, should he have believed _Pandora_ , of all people? Maybe-

_He always said he wasn’t a clone._

_Oh, gods, how could I have been so blind?_

Lucina had scrambled to her feet after Pit, reaching out to touch his shoulder gently. “Pit? Are you alright?”

His eyes rested on his outstretched hand, still covering the ‘call’ button to the elevator. “I’m so sorry.” He looked over his shoulders, seeing his friends staring back at him with worry and fear. “I… I should’ve known.”

_Did he come here of his own free will? Was it just supposed to be temporary, until I ended trapping him here?_

“He wasn’t… what we thought.”

_How much did he lash out because we all called him a clone? Or because I ended up taking away his only way home? Or because he was in a world he knew he didn't belong in?  
_

“But he’s still my brother.” Pit turned his head back to the door. “I won’t let him down. I-I can’t-”

_He must have been so scared._

A pair of arms silently wrapped around him from behind, and he felt a nuzzle against his neck, seeing white sleeves wrapped around his waist. Lucina walked up next to him, grabbing his hand tightly. “It’s alright, Pit,” she said, as Kirby ran up and hugged Pit’s ankles. “We can do this.”

“Yeah.” Red stepped forward, resting his hand on Pit’s shoulder. “But, I gotta ask… When you said he wasn’t what we thought, what’d…” Red trailed off, instead fishing in his pockets for something.

Pit sighed, looking at his feet. “He… I don’t know this for a fact, but… I-I think I know why he took lil’ Shaby here with us.” Pit looked behind him, eyes falling on the little grey puffball, whose eyes seemed to widen with familiarity. _Maybe Pittoo came up with it too,_ Pit thought to himself.

Pit wiggled himself out of Link’s arms, dropping to his knees in front of Shaby. “He… I don’t know if he told you anything, but… I think he wasn’t a clone and more… more like you.”

Pit saw Shaby’s eyes well up with tears, and Meta Knight gasped from behind them. “Ah, no, _Nubarrón_ , it’s not your fault! I’m sure you-”

“Hey,” Pit whispered, scooping Shaby up off of the floor. Shaby turned to look up at him, and Pit smiled supportively. “Thank you for trying to help him.” He held Shaby close to his chest, feeling the small creature wiggling for a moment before becoming still, pressing himself against Pit’s body. _Poor little guy came all this way to help... **him** get back home, and now he thinks he didn't do a good enough job..._

Pit heard a strange noise behind him, and turned to see Charizard, Ivysaur and Squirtle running up to him. He chuckled to himself, reaching out to pet each one-Squirtle and Ivysaur running right up to his lap, with Charizard staying far enough back for the pyrophobe’s comfort. “Thanks, Red,” he muttered, looking up at his old friend with a smile. They may have grown distant since Brawl, but the trainer still knew exactly what Pit needed.

There was a *ding*, and the elevator doors opened. For taking so long, they should’ve gotten a bigger one-there was only room for maybe one or two of the humanoids to fit in there. Pit took a deep breath, then pushed himself to his feet. He tried to take a step forward, but a hand closed around his wrist.

“Pit, wait.” Lucina stared him down, her mismatched eyes gleaming with concern. “I… I’m coming with you.” Her voice lowered, as did her eyes. “I know what it’s like… feeling like you’ve failed someone you called family. I don’t want you to be alone for this.”

Pit stared for a moment. How she'd known he was planning to run ahead, deal with his own mistake… he didn’t know. Maybe everyone was still on high alert after losing Da-Pitt-his brother. He looked behind her, seeing Kirby, Meta Knight and Shaby all in a huddle; Red running a hand over Charizard’s neck affectionately; Link smiling sadly back at the door, trying to put on a brave face. _Maybe we_ all _have an idea what that’s like,_ he thought to himself.

Pit turned back to Lucina. “Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that.” He smiled-a real smile, too, and he was as surprised as anyone-while he pulled his hand away, grabbing one half of his bow from each side of his belt. He turned to the Kirby crew, asking, "There might be room for one of you guys, if you want."

Meta Knight looked up, then back at Shaby. He sighed quietly, and shook his head. Pit understood; M.K. didn't want Shaby to be left behind, not yet. _Let Kirby and M.K. cheer the little guy up for a bit,_ Pit decided. _Then they can take the next ride down._

He turned to Red and Link, who both smiled back at him. Red nodded, saying, "You got this, Pit!" Link held a thumbs-up.

Pit nodded back, taking a deep breath. _I'll do this. For him._

* * *

Lucina had never seen Skyworld before, but she hoped it didn’t look like this.

If she had to guess, she would’ve said the place had been abandoned for decades, and looted on top of it. The room she and Pit had come into was littered with shredded wall hangings and broken pottery, torches thrown to the ground and long snuffed out.

She grabbed Pit’s hand subconsciously, at the same time as she felt him press up against her side. She’d seen things like these in her own ruined future, but those at least would someday be reclaimed by nature-weeds and grass peeking through the ground, water leaching into the stone and breaking it apart, animals making a home of it again. Suspended in the sky, this place would never see the same fate. It might see winds and rains and storms breaking it down, but for the most part, the ruins-especially the guarded inner rooms-would be unable to change on their own.

 _Left in this perpetual state of stillness,_ she thought with a chill. _Why would anybody come back here?_

Lucina led the way out of the sheltered room they’d entered, looking down marble hallways that still glowed dimly. She felt a tug, and she turned to face Pit. “Do you know where he went?”

“No.” Despite that, Pit jerked his hand from her grip, running to a window posted at a bend in the hallway. She gave chase, sliding to a stop when she saw outside.

Now _this_ was more like what she was expecting. Black clouds filled the skies, and through the gaps between them, she could make out a scorched earth. Strange monsters drifted through the air between here and there, unlike anything she’d ever seen.

This wasn’t the case for Pit, however, who was frozen, staring down at the hellscape beneath him. “They won.”

“What?” Lucina turned to him, grabbing his shoulders and trying to pull him away, back to reality. “Who?”

“They won,” Pit repeated himself, one hand reaching up to grab his hair, his wings shaking and shedding. “They won, the Underworld _won_ , _**they won-!**_ ”

“Pit!” He fell silent, and Lucina could see the tears welling in his eyes. She pulled, more gently this time, leaning him against her chest. “I-it’s alright, Pit. I know, I know…”

Pit turned his face, and Lucian could feel wet stains blooming on her shirt. He stumbled, and she carefully pulled him to the ground, resting both of them on their knees as she held him. “Please, Pit, I know, but…”

But what could she say? Was there even a hope for this world?

Pit stirred against her chest, and finally looked up with shimmering blue eyes. "I know this sounds nuts, b-but... but I hope he was supposed to serve the Underworld here, too. I..." He looked away from Lucina, muttering, "I'd hate for him to see his home like this."

“Oh…” Oh, gods, she’d been so caught up in what they were seeing, she’d almost forgotten why they were here. She rested a hand on top of his head, running her fingers through his hair-

But in the same instant, he froze, wings ruffling in agitation. He glanced over his shoulder, down another broken hallway. “This way,” he muttered under his breath. He looked back at Lucina, adding, “He’s this way.” In a blur of motion, he shot to his feet, taking off at a run once more.

“Pit! How do-” Oh, of course he knew. He’d known this far, somehow. She had to trust him. She pushed herself to her feet, taking off after Pit. She rounded another corner, and-

And she wasn’t sure what she was seeing.

The statue was the first thing they noticed-tall and isolated in her sanctuary, hair tied back and face stern, flowing sleeves hiding hands clearly meant to be held in prayer. It looked almost familiar, but not quite. Lucina could take a guess as to who it was, but...

 _But she would never look so... **cold,**_ Lucina thought.

Her eyes fell from the goddess’s elegy, however, and onto the angel kneeling at her feet. With white-and-red robes, in this state of worship, the only sign of anything being off being the iridescent black wings draping from his back, the similarities between him and his doppelganger were clearer.

_Though, maybe I shouldn’t say that anymore…_

To her surprise, Pit didn’t run out to his brother. In fact, he actually pulled back, eyes narrowed in confusion. The whole scene was fitting for the twisted otherworld they were in-so surreal, it almost had to be a dream. He looked around the open and disproportionately-large room, muttering something under his breath in disbelief.

The angel kneeling at the statue’s feet looked up, pushing himself to his feet. He sighed, pacing back and forth in front of it. Lucina gently grabbed Pit’s shoulder, pulling him backwards and out of possible sight.

After a few minutes of pacing, Dark Pit finally spoke up, in a tone that was degrees colder than his position of worship would’ve hinted at. “Well. Didn't think I'd come back, did you? Neither did I.” He froze in place, glancing over his shoulder, looking up at what could’ve only been his realm’s version of Palutena. “But here we are, because you people won't leave me alone.”

He spun around, arms crossed over his chest defensively. “Y'know, I've heard more from you in the past month than I did most months I lived here.” He gasped in mock surprise, looking back to the statue. “Oh, you didn't _forget_ me, did you?” The sickly sweet tone was a jarring shift, and Lucina could see his wings shaking with barely-contained fury even as he held his voice. “Creepy, crippled little Pit, the worst soldier you had in your guard.”

She could feel Pit-the Pit she’d known by that name, that is-shudder against her side. _He went by the same name. Well, that answers that, I suppose._

Whatever his name was, his voice dropped in temperature again, not quite as nasty as before, but just as uncaring. “Why did you even keep me around? Pity?” He stepped forward, grabbing his Staff from the ground as he did. _“Sport.”_

Another quiet, unhinged laugh slipped from him, and he leveled the staff with the statue’s face. “Yeah, _that_ was it, huh?!” His whole body was shaking now, and his voice shook with it. “You had nothing, right?! I know that’s how it goes. You had nothing, and you wanted to make sure I had nothing. But you know what? Do you want to know what happened after I left you?!”

He fired off a blast, clipping off one of the feathers of the goddess’s outstretched wings. “How about people who cared for me?!” _Another_ blast, this one burning her chest. "And my first taste of freedom!” And _**another**_ , right in her eye. He froze in place, his pained breathing filling the silence. He lowered his weapon, and, faintly, he muttered, “I flew.”

He turned away, his wings tucking against his back suddenly. “I flew again. I took back what you stole from me.” He looked up, his voice breaking. “What you **stole** from me, for daring to have a mind. I wanted to see the people I was protecting, and what did I get?!” A spin on his heels, and he screamed back at the statue, “You **_broke_** me! I-I still don’t have it back-I never can! You didn’t like my curiosity, and you _crippled_ me for it!

“I know the truth!” He lifted his staff, striding up to the statue. “You never cared! I’ve seen the way _**love**_ "-and he seemed to spit the word out-"is supposed to work, and you never showed me **any!** And you know what?!” He stumbled verbally and physically, barely staying upright. _“You deserved to **burn** here!”_

He stood in silence for a moment. Lucina hadn’t even noticed her hands clasped over her mouth, nor had she felt Pit grab her arm. All she heard was the light angel whimper in sympathy, as he likely focused on the same bent wing she was.

There was a _clang_ as his staff slipped from his hand, and he fell to his knees. “You win, alright?” He audibly choked around his own words, continuing, “You were right. I failed this place. I wasn’t good enough. I didn’t… I don’t deserve a second chance.” He chuckled to himself, then sniffled. “Just... take it away sooner next time, alright? Don’t let me get so comfortable.” He looked up at the statue, whispering, “I just don’t know how you got me back here.”

**_*Crack*_ **

Lucina froze, and she turned to face Pit. He looked up at her, the same fear that she felt reflected on his face. The two of them turned around, slowly, just in time to see a tentacle break through the floor behind them.

“Lucy…?” Pit staggered backwards, as more and more tentacles broke through the marble. Eventually, the two could begin to make out what they were attached to, as a humanoid figure shrouded in shadowy mist started to drag itself upwards and outwards.

 _Oh, Dark Pit,_ Lucina thought, drawing Falchion from her hip. _I don’t think the Goddess of Light is the one who wanted you here._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're in the home stretch now, folks. Next time, you get to do battle with my constant battle to write battle scenes well.  
> ...Anyway, if you like this story, feel free to let me know! It's a nice confidence boost to know someone enjoys my work as much as I enjoy making it.


	8. I got a way back home and an open door-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't expect to be posting again so soon, but my brain suddenly just. locked ON to the idea of editing this chapter. So here we are! Pardon my fight-scene-writing skills-I've probably improved a LOT, but I still feel pretty... ehhhhh 'bout them. Platonic angst, though-THAT I think I'm good at :D.

_If this is his version of Lady Palutena,_ Pit thought, _then that statue was_ much _too flattering._

He stumbled backwards, drawing his bowstring back as he did. He fired one, two, three arrows, all of which seemed to make the… _thing_ in front of him flinch, but didn’t seem to do much more.

Lucina, meanwhile, had no option other than to run right at it, slicing one of the tentacles that swung at her, taking it clean off. She ducked under another one, stabbing upward into the base. Instead of blood, a cloud of red mist poured out from each new wound on the creature’s body.

Lucina dodged sideways and to the ground, parrying a swiping tentacle with Falchion just long enough for Pit to drive it off with a few arrows. She smiled gratefully, pushing herself off the ground and darting around to the creature’s flank; meanwhile, Pit broke his bow into its melee form, plunging each blade into a different limb. The creature didn’t make a sound, seemingly not reacting at all other than to keep fighting. Pit felt a tentacle swipe at his legs, and he fell backwards. He overheard Lucina yell his name, and he thought he heard footsteps, but only looked up in time to see a spiked tentacle plunging down towards him.

This would’ve been so much easier if he was still on the Hands’ home turf and still had access to all his gear, but when he closed his eyes, flinging one hand in front of him, the Upperdash Arm didn’t appear like it was supposed to. Instead, the claw bounced off his wrist guard, missing his face at least, but gashing a mark into his forearm. He gasped in pain, rolling over and clutching his arm in pain. He glanced over his shoulder just in time to see the creature’s head appeared from the fog, a large mouth opening up and seeming to split its ‘face’ in two. He scrambled to grab his bow and piece it back together, but by the time he’d rolled over, he could already see a swirling mass of red and purple forming in its mouth, and could feel tentacles sporting from the floor ( _or no, not tentacles-instead of the scaly, cold feeling he expected, these were warm, fluid, reverberating with a twisted energy-some sort of magic?_ ), holding his legs and torso down and keeping him from retreating. He let loose a few arrows, but he didn’t dare take the time to charge them, and his aim was still wobbly from the pain. He squinted, trying to find the balance between still being able to shoot and bracing for the impact that was surely coming.

Pit had finally given up, closing his eyes tightly, when he heard a loud roar and felt the grip around his body loosen. He opened his eyes again, just in time to see beams of light fire from somewhere behind him, nailing the creature right in the mouth. With each blast, the thing’s hold on Pit slipped, until it staggered backwards, just far enough for Falchion to swing from beneath the fog, slicing its ankles and sending it to the ground. Pit started to stand on his own, but before he could regain his footing, a hand grabbed him by the back of his scarf, dragging him upright. He tried to keep up, stumbling as he did, as he was dragged around a corner and nearly thrown against a wall.

“What are you doing here?!” And that voice was no surprise. Pit tried to catch his breath, while D- _the other angel_ held him still by the front of his robes. The other's face was unreadable-not emotionless, not by any means, but with so many different emotions swirling in his eyes that Pit couldn't start to guess which ones were there and which ones took priority. “I told you to leave, I **told** you not to come here, I-”

“I-it’s good to see you too, buddy.” It wasn’t _meant_ to catch the other angel off guard (though that was a nice bonus-Pit needed a moment of humor, they both did); Pit was genuinely grateful to see his brother again, to know that he was still alive. He was also grateful for being saved-aside from the obvious, he was thrilled because it meant that, even for how they’d left each other, there was still _something_ in there was cared.

And Pit could see that something easily right now, in the way the other angel froze, grip loosening on Pit’s robes, red eyes locking onto him, glittering with a barely masked fear and sadness. The other angel let go and stepped back, eyes falling to the floor, and Pit could see his hands twitch, one noticeably reaching towards Pit.

The moment was interrupted however, when Lucina rounded the corner, leaning against a wall and panting. “What… What was that thing?!” She looked up at the other angel, shaking her head. “Dark Pit, what-”

Pit winced at that ( _Don’t call him that, Lucy, that’s not his name-_ ), but the other angel just shook his head, bending over to retrieve his staff. “Hades.” His voice was low, almost low enough to hide how it shook with the name.

“What?!” Pit leapt away from the wall, chasing after his brother, who was trying to walk off, trying to return to fight that… thing. “Nononono, there is _no world_ in which _that_ is Hades!” Pit made sure the other angel had stopped to listen, then he turned to start pacing. “I mean, he’s all… weird, and purple, but that thing doesn’t look anything like even the weirdest god I’ve ever seen!”

“Well, what do you want?!” Pit froze at the bitter tone, and turned to his other, who was looking away, free hand crossing over his chest and clinging to himself. “That's the leader of the Underworld here. He-it-they-there’s nothing left here because of the Underworld. There was only one survivor.” He took a shaky breath, then added under his breath, “There shouldn’t have even been that.”

He took another step forward, towards their enemy. Pit ran in front of him, planting his feet solidly on the ground. _“No.”_

The two stared at each other in silence for a moment, Pit analyzing his other’s face. He could only imagine it-the pain of leaving-of failing, even-his only home, mingling with the scars that disgusting witch of a goddess had left him with. He could imagine the other angel’s deep desire to make things right, even at the cost of his own life.

But... this wouldn’t make anything right, would it? There was no need for him to face this monster alone. They could help him, couldn't they?

A low scraping, scratching noise came from behind Pit, and he froze. As he did, he saw the other angel's eyes widen, and his hand shot out to grab Pit's wrist, dragging him backwards. The two stumbled, and Pit turned around just in time to see a claw-tipped tentacle pulled its way around the corner. Pit outstretched his wings, trying to shield his brother as the supposed leader of the Underworld rounded the corner.

The smog cloud around the figure began to clear as it stepped forward, and Pit could start to make out a figure that vaguely resembled Hades, yes-clawed 'hands' and 'feet,' wild 'hair', flowing 'robes'-but no, that wasn’t it. As the cloud grew thinner, Pit could see the form for what it was-a mass of tentacles, twisting together in a gross parody of an already less-than-sightly figure.

The head was the last thing to become visible, but it was also what sealed the deal. For as soon as the ‘skin’ of the creatures face pulled back, revealing a pale, multi-colored eye with a slit pupil in the center, Pit knew exactly what they were facing.

“Dharkon…” Lucina whispered, and in a flash, ran in front of the boys, flicking her sword up just in time to catch a tentacle before it could strike. The severed arm fell to the floor, and the creature tilted its ‘head’ sideways.

Pit drew his bow, this time holding the arrow back just long enough to charge it to full strength before firing it into the center of the eye. He leapt to the side, dodging another tentacle aimed directly at his chest, and-

“ENOUGH!”

Dharkon-or some portion of Dharkon, at least-froze in its movements, and Pit felt his heart sink at the voice calling from behind him. _Don't you dare, don't you-_

“I am Pit, fallen warrior of Skyworld, Humanity’s Accursed Angel. And I’m the one you’re after.” He stepped forward, eyes falling sideways to Pit as he passed by. He took a deep breath, then pivoted his staff, aiming it directly at the eye. “You have no business with these two. Let’s settle this, once and for all.”

Pit could see the other shaking, hear the faint cracks and shudders in his voice, even as he tried to put on a brave face. He turned to Lucina, who had frozen in horror, staring back at him He nodded, might've said something to her, but Pit couldn't tell.

 _No, no, **no!**_ “I’m not letting you-!” Pit shook his head, running up to the other angel. Dharkon absentmindedly waved a few tentacles at Pit, but most of its focus seemed to be on the other angel. _Don't start **validating** his idea! Please-!_ “You can’t defeat him all by yourself!”

His brother turned back to him, and Pit could’ve sworn he saw a smile on his face. “Yeah, I know.”

With that, he grabbed Pit and nearly threw him into Lucina. “Now, go!” He turned to Dharkon, and Pit could faintly hear the way his voice broke as he yelled, “You and me, Dharkon! Like how it should’ve been!”

The other angel ran past his two ‘rescuers,’ running through the statue hall and down another pathway. With a thunderous scream, Dharkon broke through the roof, pouring outwards into the sky above.

Pit hung limply in Lucina's arms, frozen in horror, for only a moment before taking off at a run after his other. “ _ **NO!** _I can’t-”

“Pit!” Lucina grabbed his arm, spinning him around to face her. “We can’t fight that thing! If it’s this strong, even the three of us would have trouble holding our own!”

“So what do you want to _do_ , then?” Pit felt hot tears welling in his eyes. It wasn’t like Lucina to… to give up like this! Why would she be willing to leave him behind?! “Are we really supposed to let him face that thing on his own?!"

“Pit!” The angel froze, looking over Lucina’s shoulder, catching sight of an orange blur hurtling down the hallway towards them.

Lucina took a deep breath, squeezing Pit’s shoulder tightly, and when he looked back, he saw the tiny smile pulling at her lips. “Not for very long, we aren’t.”

* * *

If he-whoever _he_ was-spoke honestly, making it out of here alive was never part of his plan.

It finally made sense, at least to him-Dharkon was angry about letting one go. Maybe that was the whole reason it had attacked the mansion in the first place, he thought-trying to get him back. Either way, he’d brought this monster on all the people he wanted to call friends.

It wasn’t a flawless answer-what about Galeem, then? How was Dharkon both here and there?-but the fine details didn’t matter to him. He’d already decided: _this is all my fault._

And if it was all his fault, well then, may the gods help anyone who tried to stop him from making it right.

“Come on, you Calamity wannabe!” he snarled out a window, trying to fight down the bile rising in his throat, the feeling of his legs threatening to lock up underneath him. He could see Dharkon floating lazily outside-it could’ve struck him down then and there, most likely. But no, it wanted to savor the moment, watch its prey squirm. _I don’t see why it wouldn’t,_ he thought. _It’s not like it hasn’t waited patiently. It’s not like I’m going anywhere._

The ground shook in front of him, and he slid to a stop, not scared per se, because scared would imply he didn’t want it. He wanted this to happen. He **wanted** this to be over. He **_wanted_** to martyr himself to protect the others.

He hoped that he’d be able to convince himself quickly, or else this was going to hurt.

He held his breath, watching as a rift opened in the ground-or, actually, right above the ground. Clearly, assimilating Hades had given Dharkon some sense of humor, as it seemed to want to make it clear in could just rip a hole in empty space if it wanted.

_(Did this realm’s version of Hades ever have a sense of humor, or was that just the other world? Was there ever a Hades, or was it always Dharkon? I wonder when this happened…)_

He certainly wasn’t trying to block out the horror in front of him, no. He _wasn't_ filling his head with idle fluff to distract himself. Funny, after all the focus he poured into making it here, how he now forced his mind to wander for his own sanity.

**“Coward.”**

There was his answer-or, _an_ answer, at least. No need to bother with titles, with names that didn't feel right anymore, with aliases he'd grown to love. _This_ was all he was anymore-a deserter who couldn't handle his duty.

He turned away from the abyss of red in front of him, letting his eyes wander over the wide moat that was now cracking into shape around him. He sighed, dropping his staff to the ground. There wasn’t any need. He dropped to one knee, dropping his head. As he did, he could’ve sworn he saw the figure of a woman in a long dress glaring at him from in the fog. “Alright, you win.”

No need to fake it. He couldn’t fight it. He wouldn’t fight it. This was what he was meant to do-

A hooked tentacle reached out, lifting his chin and tilting his face to look up. He could see ribbons of black, red and purple drawing together out of the corner of his eye.

-And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to truly want to die.

_Thud._

_Thud._

_Thud._

A flash of silver shot through Dharkon’s ‘torso.’ The creature screamed as the severed lower half was kicked aside. A clawed tentacle swung backwards, only to be cut down before it could strike the attackers.

He was so caught up in the nightmarish glory in front of him, he didn’t notice anyone running to his side. He didn’t notice, at least, until he was already slung over someone’s shoulder and being whisked away from the battle.

“What the-?!” He gasped, squirming and rolling to see Chrom and Ganondorf slicing away at Dharkon. He heard a pant, and turned to see Link, breathing heavily as he tried to escape with an angel dangling from his shoulder. Link nodded forward, just as Charizard flew past at breakneck speed. Every few seconds, in fact, another fighter rushed past the two to battle Dharkon.

 _Stop, stop, **stop!** Don’t do this!_ He clawed into the sleeve of Link’s tunic, shaking his head. _Not for me! I… I should-_

Link must’ve caught on to what he was thinking, because he shifted his grip, throwing an arm around the angel’s waist, holding him in place. With a whimper, the angel dropped his head, swallowing hard. “Please… _Please,_ Blondie, let me go, I gotta…”

He felt Link slide to a stop, and he was gently placed back on his feet. He wobbled for a moment, holding Link’s arms for support, then looked up, lost. The Hylian raised his hands to speak, only for a loud crunching sound to come from behind him. He froze, then turned and, after a second’s thought, raced off in the direction he’d come from.

The adrenaline started surging through his body again, and he tried to follow. (Because he couldn’t let the others suffer for his **failures** , he just _couldn’t!_ He wouldn’t let them-)

A hand closed around his wrist, despite the fact that he could’ve sworn Link put him against a wall. He shook his head-clearly this was just his **pathetic** self-doubt manifesting itself, he couldn’t let it stop him-

He was jerked backwards. A flash of light blinded him, and then he was spun around. By the time he regained his senses, a pair of hands held his shoulders in a death grip, holding him away from the mirror.

“I’m not going to let you die for this.”

He shook his head, ever so slightly, and Pit tightened his grasp, continuing, “I-I can’t let you run off to get killed, you understand me?” His voice was deceptively level, but the shine of his eyes revealed the tears he was barely holding back. _(Why are you crying over me it’s nothing I’m **nothing-** )_

“Pit…” He squirmed, fighting to get out, to do what he **had** to do-

“Why do you have to do this?” It was as if Pit could read his thoughts. He froze, staring at Pit, throat closing up. “If this is for her…” Pit gently pulled his brother _(please, please, still think of me that way)_ closer, and whispered, “She didn’t deserve you, alright?”

**“You should consider yourself lucky we pulled you out of the Underworld, angel.”**

“No…” His legs bowed under him, and he collapsed to the floor. “No, she didn’t, sh-she deserved… better…” He wanted to gag, he was gasping so hard. _Why did I leave why did I leave why did-_

His wings unfurled, wrapping around himself like a security blanket. He heard a light _*thump*_ , and he peeked out from behind his own feathers to see Pit, brow furrowed, lip shaking. “I-I know…” He rolled from on his knees to sitting on one hip, placing a hand on his brother’s knee. “I can only imagine how you feel, but… I can _definitely_ imagine it.” He took a deep breath, then added, “But I know you didn’t fail them, alright? You… You fought as hard as you could, I’m sure. I can’t picture anything less from you.” He squeezed his brother's knee gently, adding, “I’m sure you **all** gave it all you could.”

**“M-my goddess, please, I need help!”**

**_“Just a bit longer, alright?!”_ Her voice was sharp, frantic. _“Make them focus on you, Pit! Keep them busy!”_**

**“B-busy?” His eyes fell back on the monsters crawling the earth around him. “What do you-”**

_***Click*** _

“She…” He turned away, his hair falling in his eyes, and he hoped it would hide the tears welling up. “She didn’t. She just…”

_She ran for her life._

_She tried to put herself before her realm._

**_She left me to the hordes._ **

He heard a sharp inhale, and a tiny part of his brain panicked **(you don’t speak ill of your goddess)** , only for Pit to stammer out a response. “N-no, you're fine! It's just... That just proves my point, then.” The dark angel peered up through his bangs, catching a glimpse of Pit’s face. He was sullen, shaking just a bit, but when he saw his brother looking at him, he forced a small, bitter smile-the sort of coldly amused smirk that the dark angel was known for. “She didn’t help you, did she?”

**“You know what to do, you pathetic little brat!”**

He shook his head. Subconsciously, his wings started drawing back, and his posture loosened up. Pit nodded, muttering, “That’s what I thought.” He sighed, then spoke up. “Lady Palutena and I-we’re a team. She may mess with me sometimes, but she’s there when I need her. She-”

“She loves you.”

_My Goddess never loved me._

He already knew it-he _had_ known it, at least. It was why he held as strong as he did after being trapped in the other realm-telling himself that he was better off without her, that fighting for his own autonomy, his own _freedom_ and _happiness_ in this strange land was worth it. But the more he was reminded of what he'd done, what he'd abandoned...

**"I didn't want to do that, you know."**

...the easier it was to imagine her breathing down his neck, pulling him back in. And the moment she had her claws in him again, even from the grave-

**"You deserved that."**

-he'd snapped.

All it had taken was a series of nightmares and he'd _snapped_ back to the frightened, **pathetic** little thing he'd been back then. He'd tried to be stronger, he'd really _tried,_ and still-

He felt a gentle squeeze, and looked up to see Pit, holding his hands close, looking back at him with shimmering blue eyes, eyes that showed more care and gentleness than any he'd seen in his own home. Eyes that had seen the worst of him-the ruthlessness that had been ground into his head, the false pride that hid years of shame, the broken edges of what had shattered with that mirror years ago-and had still decided to stick around for the best of him.

He never wanted Pit to see him any other way.

"Talking 'bout it help?" To both of their surprise, the dark angel nodded. He barely noticed his wings slipping back behind him, or the way his breathing shook. _Pit_ noticed, however. And he sighed under his breath, then smiled up at his brother. "Look, if she _really_ expected you to hold back the Underworld all on your own, without her or anybody else lifting a finger…”  He paused, eyes falling to the floor as he struggled to find the words. “You guys really didn’t stand a chance.”

Those words should have never been comforting. To be told that there was no chance of saving your home should’ve scared anybody out of their wits. But in this context…

_You didn’t stand a chance._

_You couldn’t have possibly saved them_

_This wasn’t your fault._

Dark Pit sobbed quietly once-only once, as that was as long as he could hold it back before he threw his arms around Pit, burying his face in his brother's shoulder. Pit froze, caught off guard, but quickly wrapped his brother in a warm embrace, resting his chin on the other's head; letting him cry and howl into his chest; letting nails dig desperately into his arms, clinging to whatever comfort he could find. He didn't mind. “Hey, h-hey, it’s alright. I’ve got you.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Dark Pit watched the various fighters rush back through the mirror. He tried to tune it out-just taking in the warmth of strong arms and soft wings pulling him close, listening to his brother’s heartbeat-but he could hear panicked yelling that turned to nervous whispering when they realized he was there. A few took the time to smile at him; he tried to smile back.

“Pit…” He pulled back, watching anxious blue eyes focus on him again. “Pit, I wanna go home.” And he meant something very different than he had just a few hours ago.

Pit smiled in relief, wiping a tear from the corner of his own eye. “Yeah… Yeah, let’s go home, buddy.”

As Pit gently pulled him to his feet and walked him towards the elevator, Dark Pit could faintly hear Chrom taking a head count; and as he turned, leaning against the wall of the elevator next to Pit, he could still see Palutena raising her staff in front of the portal.

Dark Pit watched for just a moment as the only way back to where he started was destroyed. And as he felt Pit pull him close under his wing, he found he didn’t really care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have one more chapter left after this, in order to wrap things up, offer a few explanations, and give our dumb punk birb a true happy ending. Thanks for hanging around, folks, and let me know what you thought.  
> (Someday I'll share my Pit and Pittoo feels writing playlist with the world, and then you're allllll in trouble.)


	9. -to everything I left face-down on the floor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank you guys for joining me on this wild ride of a 'fic. This was my first multi-chapter story to ever get finished. The ending may be cheesy, and maaaybe not as well-written as I would've liked, but the whole point of writing this wasn't so much to create a perfect story as to tell the story I wanted to. Something that would hit people, that they could enjoy, and maybe even relate to. Again, thank you for your time, and, uh...  
> Keep your eyes peeled, Kid Icarus fandom, b/c I ain't going anywhere any time soon. I'm thinking a lil' over a month before you see me again, but we'll see. <3  
> 

Once they were all home, he finally got his answers.

Based on what the fighters most knowledgeable about magic could tell, what they’d encountered in there was a nightmarish hybrid; one where Dharkon had consumed Hades and taken on some of his powers. With two quasi-demonic forces combined, along with the world seeming a lost cause after seven years, _and_ them fighting on the enemy’s terms, the fighters had agreed to fall back instead of risk losing anyone.

Not that Dark Pit could really blame them. Nor could he blame Palutena for blasting the mirror as soon as everyone was out, sealing that realm off forever. He’d grumbled about not saving any surviving mortals, only to catch the sorrowful look on the goddess’s face. There wouldn’t have been anything left to save. He wished he was surprised.

In return, Dark Pit felt the need to come clean about the lies he’d told since he’d first escaped through the mirror. Everyone got the basic version-the reality of the Mirror of Truth and what it did, how he’d fled from the ruins of his home and struggled to make a life in the other realm.

Those he was closer to-the rescue party and Palutena-were told the expanded version. They were told of the lies he’d been fed about the other side of the mirror, and how it'd caused him to lash out in fear when he’d arrived. They were told how he'd come to change his mind about Pit and Palutena, and, quietly, they were told of some of the less-than-kind treatment he’d earned from his goddess.

(Lucina and Pit would later reveal that they’d eavesdropped on him, making them the only ones who knew exactly how cruel the mirror world’s Palutena was. He didn’t mind, and it was even a relief to curl up against Lucina’s chest while Pit gave him his first good preening since his ‘punishment.’)

He didn’t really want to be treated differently, but he knew it would happen. On the one hand, he’d kinda lied about his entire life. On the other hand, he figured that some may view this as… an improvement? As an explanation for all his issues? He wasn't sure he wanted pity, but… understanding might be nice.

And on the elusive third hand, he didn’t expect the ones he called his closest friends to be the ones avoiding him.

“Hey, M.K.-” Dark Pit sighed in resignation as Meta Knight flew away. _Annnd you blew it,_ he thought. _You broke their trust, you showed your inner demons, you-_

“S’cuse me!” Daisy yelled, hurrying past him, almost knocking him over with the large box she barely kept a hold on. “Just gotta-” She froze, slowly turning her head to look over her shoulder. “Oooooh.”

“Gotta _what?”_ Dark Pit muttered, crossing his arms.

“Gotta go this way-” Dark Pit yelped as pair of hands grabbed his shoulders and spun him around “-and _you_ gotta go that way!”

Dark Pit shook his head, turning back around to see Richter corralling Daisy towards the door to the dining hall. The angel groaned under his breath, then yelled, “Seriously!?” Richter turned, but before he could do anything to stop the angel, Dark Pit took off at a run, ducking around Belmont and grabbing the door before it could fully close behind Daisy. “If you guys don’t want me around, just **tell** me, alri-”

He wasn’t sure what he was expecting to see when he tore the door open. He didn’t really expect to see that they’d all snuck into his room and packed all his stuff when he wasn’t looking. Maybe he expected to catch them discussing the best way to convince him to leave. He definitely expected to see something that validated his fears that, at the same time that he’d decided he wanted to stay above anything else, _they_ had decided that they didn’t want him around anymore.

He didn’t expect to see pale silver streamers threaded through the upper railings of the dining hall. He didn’t expect to see Chef Kawasaki and an army of Waddle Dees running back and forth from the kitchen. And he didn’t expect to see Pit almost drop in surprise the box he’d taken from Daisy.

“Why is he here?!” Pit cried, hurrying to put the box down on a nearby table.

“Well, maybe don’t tangle up all your best distraction plans helping here!” Daisy responded.

“I-I had to get this done fast, we didn’t have a lot of time between breakfast and lunch- I dunno what you want, I’m not the strategy guy!” Pit turned to his brother, who’d taken about ten steps before freezing, looking around the room in confusion. “H-hey, buddy!”

“Hey…” Dark Pit turned back to Pit, eyes wide with confusion. “Pit, what’re you…?”

“Well, uh, I figured we could do something a bit more… Elaborate for lunch this time?” Pit scratched the back of his neck, rocking on the balls of his feet. “Y’know, to celebrate the fact that… you’re here and… not dead.” He walked up to Dark Pit, continuing, “I didn’t want to make too big a deal out of it, if you didn’t want it to be.” He saw the distinct, stunned look on the other’s face, and whispered, “It’s… alright, right?”

Dark Pit took a deep breath, then, quietly, he spoke. “Y’know, you… didn’t have to make this a surprise, right?" He looked over his shoulder again, adding, "Or… you could have waited more than eighteen hours before trying to do something?”

“Or, I could **not**?” Pit crossed his arms, pouting slightly. He was still worried for a moment that he’d hurt his brother’s feelings, but instead, the darker angel chuckled.

“You’re an idiot.” Dark Pit turned to Pit, eyes glittering slightly with unshed tears. “Thanks. You didn’t have to, but… Thanks.”

Pit smiled, inwardly squealing and pumping his fist with joy. “Of course!” He looked around the room, then said, “Y’know, just for future reference… what would you have wanted to do?”

"Well..."

* * *

“So, I gotta ask…”

Pit looked at his brother, raising an eyebrow. “Hm?”

“Hooded figure, nothing but the void under the hood and in the sleeves, speaks in weird-ass riddles?”

“Riverperson?”

“ _THANK_ YOU!” Dark Pit throw his hands in the air, nearly flinging his soda across the balcony and causing Pit to giggle from the other side of the table. “Is _that_ what the thing’s called?! I knew it reminded me of that weird boat guy from the game you were playing the other day, but I couldn’t remember the name-”

“Yeah, no, I think you might’ve met the Riverperson, P-dude.” Dark Pit froze, glancing sideways at Pit, who looked away sheepishly.

“Pit, we’ve talked about this.” Pit shivered, shaking his head, but turned back to Dark Pit after a moment. “What’s my name?”

Pit shifted in his seat, then muttered, “Dark Pit.”

“Or?”

Pit looked even more nervous now, rolling his own glass of soda between his hands. “P...Pittoo?”

Dark Pit nodded, one corner of his mouth turning up. “And _why_ would I prefer you call me that than the name I used to have?”

Pit shook his head. “I-I dunno, you never explained that part.”

Dark Pit sighed, eyes falling to the tinted glass tabletop. “I didn’t, huh? Guess I forgot.” He looked up at Pit, putting his hands over the other angel’s. “Because I like who I became here _so_ much more than who I used to be there. I… I don’t like who I was… with her. Frankly, I’d rather be your clone than her toy.” Pit took a deep breath and nodded in understanding. Dark Pit chuckled morbidly and added, “I’d have probably liked serving the Underworld more than I liked serving her.”

“Hey, hey, shut up.” Pit let go of his glass and took Dark Pit’s hands in his own. “Don’t say that.”

“What? At least I’d know they didn’t care about me.” Dark Pit laughed again quietly, but he looked up and saw the concern in Pit’s eyes. “Alright, I’ll stop.” He blew out through his nose, muttering, "I mean it, y'know? I... For all I did wrong, I still like who I became, and if it's alright with you-"

"I'm alright with whatever makes _you_ most comfortable." Pit sighed, not quite able to look Dark Pit in the eye. “I wish we’d known. Lady Palutena and I, we would’ve helped you…”

“Don’t blame yourself. I wouldn’t have taken it then anyway.” Dark Pit sighed, his head dropping until his chin rested on the table. _I was a mess then,_ he thought bitterly. _I still am now. Hell, I'm probably gonna be a mess for the rest of my life._

Dark Pit felt a weight rest on his head, and looked up to see Pit affectionately ruffling his hair. The dark angel snorted in amusement, letting his eyes fall closed. _But maybe I can get better._

“Everything alright?”

The two angels looked up, seeing Lucina standing over them. “Oh, hey, Lucy!” Pit shot upright, while Dark Pit just flashed a thumbs-up.

Lucina looked at him, then back at Pit, saying, “Did you show him more of that show you had him watching? Hasn’t he been through enough?”

“Hey, it was his idea today!” Pit said.

“Also, don’t worry, not the problem.”

“Also-also, how was I supposed to know he’d get so attached?!”

“Also-also-also, in his defense, he _did_ warn me the end of Volume Three was the painful part.” Dark Pit scoffed, pushing himself upright. “I just got too distracted with the 'PvP' pun, I forgot…”

“Anyway,” Pit said, ignoring the amused-but-baffled look on Lucina’s face, “Pittoo and I were just havin’ a little chat.” He shot Dark Pit a look, as if still waiting for the moment the nickname would be shut down, but Dark Pit just smiled. Once upon a time, that nickname would’ve ground against his mind, seeming like it would drive him to madness, but now he preferred it over his own name. Weird how things happen.

“Well, if you two want,” Lucina said, looking between the two of them, “me and my father were going to run a few sparring matches, if either of you are feeling competitive?”

Pit gasped, opening his mouth to speak. Then, he stopped, glancing at Dark Pit. The other angel smiled, nodding in approval. Pit grinned, then turned to Lucina and said, “Sure thing!”

Pit shot to his feet, and Dark Pit said, “Give me just a sec to finish my drink. You guys go choose the arenas and ruleset.”

“This feels like a trap,” Lucina said, but by this point, Pit already had a hold of her arm and was dragging her away. Dark Pit laughed quietly to himself, watching as the two ran off.

A small squeak came from beneath the table, and Dark Pit froze. He dropped into a crouch, smirking when he found the source. “Well, hey there, lil’ guy…” He stood up, patting Shadow Kirby on the head. “Decided to stick around a bit longer, huh?”

Shaby bobbed up and down, yelling adorable gibberish. Dark Pit sighed, then muttered, “Hey, I… I never thanked you for helping me back there. You did everything you could, and…” He smiled as he held the little creature up to his face. “I’m grateful.”

“Pittoo! You coming?!”

“Hang on!” Dark Pit called back, then let his eyes wander to Shaby. “You’ve never gotten to try one of these matches, have you?” Shaby seemed to shake his head, and the angel smirked. “Wanna lend me a hand?”

Shaby waved his arms excitedly, and Dark Pit turned back towards the arena. “Pit!”

“Yeah?”

“You’re being replaced with a Kirby!”

“What?!" Pit’s head shot out from behind the stands, and Dark Pit hoisted Shaby high in the air. “Oh, wha- no way! I won’t stand for this!” Pit turned and (if Dark Pit’s limited view was accurate) vaulted down the steps. “ _Link!_ I need help here!”

“Crap-” Dark Pit shoved Shaby under his arm, barely noticing the puffball’s squeak of surprise. “Oh, no, you don’t!” He took off at a run, taking the steps two at a time, as he hurried to meet his friends at the bottom.


End file.
